From museums and parks to festivals and beaches, this list has something for everyone, all within easy traveling distance from the New York City area, including Upstate New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.

Want to host a traditional summer barbecue with all the classic food staples without breaking the bank? Follow these seven tips to slash costs without cutting flavor! Perfect for a patriotic 4th of July, or any time.

There are so many fun things to do in the NYC area, all year 'round! We've picked the top 20 best events for families in each season in the following areas: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, Rockland County, and Fairfield County, CT.

Summer is the perfect time to be outside, and we've compiled a list of the top 20 things to do on Long Island in the summer, including Long Island Ducks games, berry picking, outdoor music festivals and concerts, the Shinnecock Indian Nation Pow Wow, and a Pirate Festival at the Long Island Maritime Museum.

Books-A-Million will host a Free Family Fun Camp every Saturday in July at each of its 258 locations. Books-A-Million offers such programs as a refreshing way to help parents provide their children with creative outlets for learning during the summer break.

Summer is the perfect time to be outside, and we've compiled a list of the top 20 things to do in New York City in the summer, including paddle boat rental at Central Park in Manhattan, Macy's 4th of July Fireworks, outdoor music festivals and concerts, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Queens, and wet and wild fun at Coney Island in Brooklyn.

Summer is the perfect time to be outside, and we've compiled a list of the top 20 things to do in in the summer in Fairfield County, CT, from Greenwich to Westport, to Norwalk, and even Bridgeport, including where to pick strawberries, free outdoor Shakespeare, local Connecticut beaches, and the Westport Fine Arts Festival.

Summer is the perfect time to be outside, and we've compiled a list of the top 20 things to do in Westchester County in the summer, including where to pick strawberries, outdoor music festivals and concerts, county fairs, and where to see fireworks.

Have fun this summer in Rockland County with our top 20 best summer activities in Rockland County, including activities in Ramapo, Nyack, Orangetown, Clarkstown, and Haverstraw. We've got summer fun at Bear Mountain, the annual Strawberry Festival, and Nyack's Famous Street Fair.

UPDATED JUNE 2014: What better way to cool off this summer than at the beach? Pack up your suits, towels, and sunscreen and head to one of these family-friendly sandy spots for a day full of sun, swimming, and sandcastle construction. There are many places to enjoy the miles of coastline in the New York City area, including Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, New Jersey, and Westchester and Rockland Counties.

Miniature golf promises a fun time for all. Here's a listing of putt-putt courses throughout the New York City area, including indoor and outdoor mini golf in NYC, Long Island, Westchester County, and Rockland County.

UPDATED MARCH, 2014: The Minor League Baseball season in the New York metro area runs through September and many of these venues have special offers for families, making one of these games a perfect family outing when the kids are off from school. Check out the minor league baseball teams that play in New York and NYC, Long Island, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

Our guide includes carousels and merry-go-rounds in New York City, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. You'll find details on each carousel, including its location, hours it's open, price per ride, and a description.

When Summer break approaches, many parents worry about potential “brain drain” during this timeline. Patti Rommel, Director of Research and Development at Lakeshore Learning Materials, shares 7 great tips for how to prevent summer slide while having fun.

Make the most of your summer with these creative ideas for outdoor fun with kids. Our editors have compiled 125 reasons to get outside in the sunny season, from scout-inspired activities to eating outdoors, gardening with kids, dinosaur-focused fun, activities on the water, live sporting events, and much more.

Whether you want to start growing your own produce or your child has expressed interested in digging in the soil, we've compiled a list of 17 ways to a grow a green thumb, including gardening activities for kids, gardening tools for kids, what to plant in a kid's garden, how to create small container gardens, and how to start composting.

If you're growing a garden this year, or if you want to try growing something small before committing to a garden, have your kids help make grassy garden gnomes. The DIY garden decoration—a chia-pet like project—is a great craft for kids.

FUN GUIDES

About Us

NYMetroParents is the parenting division of Davler Media Group and encompasses 9 regional print magazines within the greater NY metro region as well as the website (nymetroparents.com). Following the success of the first NYC parenting resource book, "Big Apple Baby," BIG APPLE PARENT was launched in 1985; it is now the largest publisher of regional parenting content in the United States.